Mr Todd's Tutoring
by Slashers R Us
Summary: Companion Fic to Delayed Promises! "Can I try?" Sweeney paused. "Wot?"


Well I kinda realized that I haven't written in close to forever and I was reading Delayed Promises and I felt the inspiration to write again! Whoopey for me! I'm going to compare this to riding a bike, and I hope it's that easy lol XD

Warning: You have to had read Delayed Promises to understand this. So go and read it...and review... ;)

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The bustling of the comings and goings of customers had been scarce for weeks.

Del, the brown haired apprentice of Mr. Sweeney Todd, fidgeted on the floor of her employer's tonsorial parlor. She whistled, hummed, tapped her fingers on the wooden floor, and sat all around the room. Although the annoyed look the barber gave her brought her some satisfaction, it still didn't relieve her boredom.

"I'm bored," Del stated again for, since she had been counting, the 24th time today. Sweeney grunted his reply, as he had for the the same amount of times.

"Sweep the shop."

"I've done that five times today."

"Go 'elp Mrs. Lovett in 'er shop."

"She's having the same bad luck as we are."

"You could clean up down there."

"Toby does that."

"Go outside."

"It's too dreary out."

"Then goddammit girl wot DO you want ta do?!" He snarled. Del huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the floor.

"I have no damn clue," She growled back. The barber sighed, now realizing the troubles of a bored 16 year old. He grabbed his razor from his holster and started angrily sharpening it on the leather strap attached the chair that he conducted his business in. They continued to be both in their own little worlds; one trying to drown the silence by making any tapping sounds known to man, and the other alleviating his irritation by sharpening his deadly razor. After a minute, she turned her head to look at him.

"Can I try?" Sweeney paused.

"Wot?" Del rolled her eyes.

"May I please try sharpening your pretty thingymabobbers?" Her employer's brows furrowed. He stared down at his most treasured object. Del could practically see the cogs turning in his mind, weighing his options. Let his crazy but still loyal apprentice touch the thing of most value to him or kick the annoying, boisterous little pest out of his shop? He must have finally come to a conclusion, for he looked up at her.

"Come 'ere." Del quickly got up and rushed over to Sweeney's side, clapping her hands and jumping up and down.

"Thank you Mista' T I promise you won't regret it!" Contrary to that statement, the barber was already beginning to regret it. He didn't change his mind though. He showed her how to hold the razor and demonstrated the sweeping motions that it took to sharpen it.

"Like this?" She tried the motion he had just shown her, but the razor slipped and she sliced herself on her palm. As she clutched her hand, he smirked.

"Obviously not." She looked up at him, tears flooding her eyes. He sighed and walked to his dresser. He picked up the cleanest rag and handed it to her. He watched, amused, as she struggled to put it on one-handed. Finally, after the amusing had finally become the annoying, he shoved her into the chair and kneeled down in front of her.

"What the hell?!" He yanked the hand that was now dripping blood away from the other one and started to inspect it. He started to poke and prod it. Del squealed in pain and attempted to yank her hand from him. "Leggo! That hurts! Stop!" For once, the glare he shot her shut her up.

"Will you just shut up already?!" He went back to inspecting her gash. Finally, after being thoroughly satisfied, he cleaned the slowly dripping blood up with the sleeve of his shirt, ignoring the protests of his apprentice. He tied the rag around her hand when the bleeding was close to a stop.

"There." He stooped down to pick up the forgotten razor. He started to polish it with the rag he kept in his belt.

"I wanna try again." Sweeney rolled his eyes, murmuring under his breath.

"You 'aven't 'ad enough scars for today?" Del shook her head. Her employer growled but beckoned her over. He showed her once again the proper methods to use. She took the razor in her hands, more carefully this time. Slowly, she mimicked the movements that she had seen. When no blood or pain ensued, she beamed up at the barber. He even had to admit, she was doing well for her second try.

Although Sweeney did not congratulate her verbally, as she would have like, he gave her a squeeze that seemed to say, to her at least, 'good job.' Her smile widened and she continued to get faster and faster in her movements until she had mastered sharpening the razors. Finally, after she had almost cut a finger off, her employer decided it would be a good idea to end the tutoring. As he finished sharpening the razor and pocketed it in his holster, Del lay on the floor, arms under her head as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Mr. Todd?"

"Wot?"

"Do you think customers are going to come in soon?" The barber stared out of the huge window into the streets below.

"Maybe."

"Mr. Todd?"

"Wot?" There was a slight edge to his voice. He was starting to get tired of these endless questions.

"Do you think me, you, Mrs. Lovett, and Toby will really live by the sea some day?" There was a very large pause before Del's employer answered her this time.

"Maybe."

"Mr. Todd?"

"Oh bloody 'ell wot now?!" Del grinned and looked back at Sweeney.

"Do you think next time I could shave a customer?" The barber grimaced, surveying the mess that included the blood on his shirt, the blood on the floor, and the bloody rag which adorned her hand.

"Maybe not."

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Well that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be XD I am pretty glad I did this though! Be sure to review if you wouldn't mind luvs!


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